JENNY Timouth was delighted to be the first ever British woman to race in the Supersport World Championships, even though she crashed twice and had to retire.

The event was a one-off for the Honda rider after her wildcard entry, but she was pleased to be able to take a step up to the world stage.

She said: “I had a great weekend even though I crashed. I’m so proud to be the first British woman to compete in this championship.”

The event, at Silverstone, started badly for the Ellesmere Port mechanic as she crashed, at turn 13, during the first qualifying round on Friday.

Jenny said: “The bike caught fire after I crashed so it was really difficult to fix. We were up until one in the morning sorting it all out.”

Come Sunday’s race day, Jenny managed to compete for 19 minutes before she crashed, once again, at turn 13.

She said: “It was a different kind of crash from the first one but I don’t really know what happened. I went round the corner, and then I was out.”

Thankfully, the setback doesn’t affect Jenny’s British SupersportCup challenge and she hopes that her next race, at Brands Hatch this weekend, will enable her to continue her good form.

She said: “It was a great experience but now I’m focused back on the British Cup.”

Jenny, who races for Sorrymate.com, is currently positioned second in the British Cup after two consecutive podium finishes.